Pushing East

We had had trouble securing accomodation in Budapest. Perhaps because it was the weekend and we had put it off. We couldn't find any hostels. We had booked a room on Laterooms.com but they came back and said they were full and would refund us. Out of some kind of desperation, I booked an apartment on some other site. It was called City Apartments; there were only two apartments, and there was the exclamation “Only 1 room left!” which sounded fishy in itself. What kind of establishment only has two apartments to rent out for the night? It was different than anything we had done before.

Right before we left the hostel in Bratislava I noticed I had gotten an email, but it didn't say from whom. It read that they had accidently overbooked, but they had another place where we could stay. I assumed it was from the first place who had overbooked us. I returned the email anyway asking who it was from. What was the chance that two hotels in Budapest had overbooked us? When we left the hostel we no longer had wifi so I couldn't receive any more emails. We'd just show up at the place and see what happened.

Well it turned out to be a bugger finding the place. It was an extremely hot day and we were sweating already with our packs. All we had was an address, but for the life of us we couldn't find where we were. We asked two different guides, and they each pointed us in different directions. We walked in circles until we found the street we were looking for. We then found the right address and it belonged to a door that was boarded up and looked like it hadn't been used in years. We then came to the inside of a building, like some kind of bazaar, only a really old one where all the shops had been boarded up. We did find a door with apartment numbers, but there was nothing to indicate that City Apartments was located there. This was definately the address, but not a soul was around.

We were so confused we didn't know what to do. I couldn't get any wifi so I had no numbers or references to go by. Chris and I went outside to sit and stare at each other in confusion. No, we weren't mistaken. This was the address they had given. While Chris sat there, conferring with his GPS, I went back into the building. It was spooky, this building having an old abandoned feel to it. But then this young guy comes out of nowhere and asks what I'm looking for. When I say City Apartments, he tells me “They are full. There's another hotel we find for you.” Just like the email I had recieved. I was pissed off, as this place was hard enough to find already. He handed me a phone and some guy who couldn't speak English very well was telling me about another hotel. The whole thing was just so fishy, I didn't trust the guy on the phone or the guy who’d handed it to me. I went outside to tell Chris we should go. Who were these guys? Why was this guy just hanging around in this abandoned building and seem to have all this information? I figured it was a scam of some kind, and worried that I had given out my credit card info to them on the website.

Chris listened calmly to the information, but didn't seem as worked up as I was. He thanked the guy and got me to walk away. By that time we didn't know what to do. We found the email I had received and from there we got the details of the hotel they had supposedly found for us. It was nowhere near where we were. Chris smelled a scam as well, and in the end I think he was right. City Apartments (if they exist at all) is in the centre, right by the river with all the sights around. The other hotel, we discovered as we walked along, was in a much worse section of town. Everyone who books a room for City Apartments must get the same email. By the time they show up at the other place they're too tired to find another hotel, as was the case with us. I can't even remember the name of the place where we ended up, but it was two women in charge and they couldn't speak English very well. Our names were on a piece of paper, funnily enough, so they were expecting us. I was livid, but my anger would have been lost on them as they looked confused enough. I did ask the girl about the other apartment, and she said she knew nothing about it. Yeah right.

Our room for the night was a Soviet-style apartment: a bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom. Everything was falling apart, in fact when Chris went to flush the toilet the whole chain and top part came off. It was pretty dire, so much so I had to end up laughing at the whole thing. As we were leaving there was a group of backpackers looking confused as they stepped into the lobby. No doubt they had been directed there as well. In fact everyone we saw in that place looked confused, nobody quite sure if they had been scammed or not.

Buda and Pest

The good news about Budapest is that it is a lovely city. Two cities in fact, one across the river from each other (I don't know which is which). There are impressive bridges crossing the Danube, and wonderful promenades on either side. I'm happy to say that the Danube here is the stuff of waltzes.

We found the city to be surprisingly pricey. After walking around, we settled down for pizza in an outdoor restaurant in a square. We had the entertainment of a saxophonist that was seranading us with all sorts of tunes, some that we haven't heard since the early 90s, such as the Tarzan song. It was so cheesy that it was actually pretty good. The guy looked just like Eugene Levy and was wearing red pants.

Having had a tiring day, we walked back to the hotel. It took us nearly 45 minutes, and was quite scary at times as Budapest has a slightly dangerous feel to it. It seemed everyone on the street was a shady character. The hostels I saw advertized led down dark alleyways to boarded up buildings. Maybe we hadn't done too bad with our accommodation. Sure, it was in a bad area, but nobody harassed us and we got back alright. We put bags against our door as a warning if someone tried to get in. It was that kind of setting. But in the end, we came out ok.

Bathtime

We had another overnight train so we had an entire day to kill in Budapest. Chris had suggested we go to a Hungarian spa. He had been before when he was in Budapest years ago for a stag do. The spas in Hungary are famous as there are many natural hot springs. We decided to check one out.

It was a long slog of a walk. One thing was certain, we were getting our exercise in Budapest. I could feel the weight coming off me. The spa was about an hour and a half away on foot. We were relieved when we reached it as we were sweating under the hot sun. We were ready to get wet.

We couldn't understand anything once we entered the spa. It was a spa for Hungarians. There weren't any tourists around. We couldn't figure out where to go, as we had rented a locker and we needed to change. There were imposing looking figures walking around in Speedos and beastly women in bathing caps. Everyone looked serious and nobody looked like they were having a good time. We came to a pool that looked like something from the Soviet age. Everything was slightly rusty and rundown. I loved it. There wasn't an ounce of Western tourism.

We finally figured out the locker situation, and for the first time on our trip we donned our swim suits. After checking the place out we found the central attraction, the hot springs spa. It was like a massive jaccuzi. Everyone just sat around the edges, water bubbling up in certain areas. As Chris and I settled in, we really began to look around. Our spa companions were mostly older people, and every last one of them looked serious and scowly. The men wore bathing caps, just like the women, and the standard pair of black Speedos. The women were massive apple-shaped creatures with mustaches. Chris and I agreed that this was the first time we had felt completely at ease in swim suits in public.

The spa was like a little play area. Bubbles would arrise in different areas at different times. The bubble areas were the most vied for spots, and it seemed like the grannies knew where to go before anyone else. There was a flow of water at the far end of the pool with bursts of water that would jettison you through. This was the funnest part for me. I'd grab hold to a side and see how long I could stay before I was swept away. Of course I'd have Hungarian hordes coming straight at me so many times I'd get scared and let go.

There was very little laughter at the spa. Even though Chris and I were having a blast in the bubbles, the old people would scowl at us. There were these little beds you could lie in, and the bubbles would come up and massage you. Anyway, the bubbles had this weird effect on my swim suit, making it balloon out in the belly. If I rolled over, my bottom would balloon out. Chris and I thought this was hilarious, but the women next to us gave us fierce scowls. For the locals, this was clearly serious business for them. This wasn't for their amusement, this was for health reasons. Indeed the whole placed reeked of rotten egg, so there must have been some regenerative minerals in the water.

There were other areas we could visit. There were saunas, both dry and steam. The dry was pretty good, I could take the heat. The people we shared it with were there for serious business as well. Nobody talked. They just sat around like they were there for a doctor's visit. Every once and awhile a real health fanatic would start doing callestetics from a bench up high. Seeing somebody do serious stretches in a Speedo is funny stuff. After sitting in the sauna, you had the option to dip yourself in freezing cold water. There was even ice on hand if you wanted to make it colder. Chris opted to take the dip whereas I did not. I did try out the stone-walking area, where you walk around barefoot on tiny rocks. Maybe it was supposed to massage your feet or toughen up your soles; I really don't know. It hurt like the dickens. The other sauna we visited (very briefly) was the steam bath. This one was unbearable. It hit you once you walked through the door. I couldn't breathe, it was so intense. There were other people in there, making grunting noises from the pain. Again there were callestetic guys doing stretches like they were warming up for a marathon. Everything was done with such seriousness, it was hard not to laugh. We could only stay in the steam bath for so long til we couldn't take it a second longer. Once out the door we would stand in a cold shower, finally able to breathe again. And then we'd do it all over again. I have no idea how good this is for one's health. It was an interesting experience, but I didn't feel any healthier for it.

Sandcastle Paradise

After the spa we walked along the left bank of the Danube, in Buda I believe. We climbed up a hill and came to the old town, a section of the city we had completely missed the day before. Then we came to the attraction that I had seen in pictures way back when I used to pour through travel guides—the Castle. Actually I don't know for sure what the Castle is called. Maybe it's just the Castle. It's comprised of several towers that are sculpted just like sand castles. These are the highest points in the city and offer the best views of Budapest. It's entirely free to walk among the towers. I imagined my nieces and how they would love to be there. It really is like a giant sandcastle that you can climb and wander around. I've never seen any place quite like it.

There was a nice breeze up on that hill. We found a park next to the Castle and took a snooze on the grass. After the spa it was just what we needed. We whiled away the afternoon on the top of the city. Then we had to climb down; we had to get ready to catch our train.

We were a little concerned after our horrific train ride into Munich. We had booked sleepers to Romania, so at least we'd be lying horizonal for most of the journey. We were still concerned about safety, as Eastern Europe is supposed to be a scary, dangerous place with bands of wild youths and such. We bought some alcohol for the ride, a Bacardi Breezer or two to help us relax and get to sleep. There was uncertainty, as we had been scammed at the very start of Budapest, and it can really put you on edge. We collected our bags from the hotel and made our way through the dark to the train station. We only hoped for the best as the Wild East was ahead of us.

The Overnight Train to Transylvania

We presented our tickets to a man standing outside our designated train carriage. He was an older gentleman, the keeper of the car it turned out. He showed us our cabin, informing us we had the top bunks. Thankfully he told us we could sleep on the bottom, indicating that no one else would be sharing the cabin with us. We settled in, and for the first time in a long time on a train, we felt pretty good. The cabin was a nice one, with a small table against the wall. We could sit on the bottom bunks and eat our snacks and drink our Breezers.

Before the train took off, the gentlemen came to visit us, bringing us our bedsheets. He told us that we would get a visit from passport control in the night, but other than that he had our tickets so we could sleep. Then he showed us how the door to the cabin locked. I was surprised. I had heard horror stories about taking trains through Eastern Europe and the lack of security. However we felt safe under the watchful eye of this gentleman. Once he left we locked the door and pulled the curtains shut, and the train rolled forward. It was dark so we couldn't see much outside, but we cracked the window open and felt the breeze on our faces. The clack clack clack of the track summoned us to sleep, and soon we were changing into our pajamas. Chris took a lower bunk and I took the middle bunk on the opposite side. It was surprisingly comfy, and with the train rolling this way and that along the track, I was off to sleep in no time.

Deep in a dream, a heard someone say to me “Hello.” It was loud enough to wake me. I opened my eyes and saw someone standing right in front of me. A man's face was level to my own. I gasped and was about to scream when Chris put out is hand to comfort me. He apologized for scaring me, he was just on his way out to go to the bathroom, but I was still shaken. Waking up like that on a train is frightening, especially with preconceived notions that scary individuals are about. I told Chris next time he must wake me, don't stand infront of me and say “hello.” It's just weird. Funnily enough, he did this to me again on the overnight train in Thailand. I think he enjoys doing it.

Despite the scare from Chris, and a bang on our door at 2:00 in the morning (most border crossings happened at this time) I slept pretty solidly through the night. In the morning we awoke to the Transylvanian landscape outside our window. Almost all other passangers in our car had disembarked already. It was just us and the elderly gentleman who stood in the hallway enjoying the view. The sun was shining and it was a new day. I couldn't believe we had really made it this far. I couldn't believe we had actually made it to Romania.